The uterus is part of a woman's reproductive system that is located in the pelvis between the bladder and the rectum. The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows. The narrow, lower portion of the uterus is called the cervix.
 
Uterine sarcoma is a very rare kind of cancer that forms in the uterine muscles or in the tissues that support the uterus. It is different from endometrial cancer, a disease in which cancer cells start growing inside the lining of the uterus (endometrium).
 
Risk Factors for Uterine Sarcoma
No one knows the exact cause of uterine sarcoma, and doctors can seldom explain why one person will get it and another person will not. However, it is clear that this disease is not contagious -- no one can "catch" uterine sarcoma from another person.
 
Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop the disease. A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. An example of a risk factor for uterine sarcoma involves past treatment with radiation therapy to the pelvis.